UK licence - does wife have to change?

Jo90 said:
Perhaps, if the guards did not act in such a manner as if they are the law instead of law enforcement officers then people would not have such a low opinion of them.
Click to expand...

exactly,

keep the uk licence funk the garda's suggestion...
 
 
 

Gardai go for the easy targets - catching people going a bit above the speed limits on motorways for example. While this is against the law, as long as they concentrate on this over arresting someone for assaulting you on the street, then people will have a low opinion of them.

They go for motorists because they won't get much hassle from them in general. My girlfriend and I were the victims of a random assault. The gardai made sure to give the culprits plenty warning that they were coming even though we had told them exactly where they were.

I don't wish to go any further off topic here by detailing the incident. Suffice to say that the Garda reaction to this assault and to my elderly aunts burglary while she was in the house has given me cause not to hold the Gardai in high esteem.
 
Back to the driving licence question,

No guard involved in my case - was told by my insurance company that they would not accept a Northern Ireland licence. Was caught between a rock and a hard place because at that time, no other company would quote for me.

Regretted giving it up too, but had to and I know of other people from here but who managed to do their tests above who hold NI licences and have got insurance.

I suggest holding on to it as long as possible.
 
My brother drives on a Irish Driving licence in the England for the last 12 years. He is living there for that time. He renews his licence at his old Irish address. Most recently he had to get a driver-specific smart cards (driver cards) with his licence that he needed for his haulage business. He had to have this done here because he has an Irish licence. He won't change for an English licence unless he realy has too. He runs an haulage business in the UK. Has no problem with his engilsh insurance company.
www.transport.ie
From above website:
Q. I hold a full UK licence and I am now resident in Ireland. Do I have to exchange for an Irish licence?


A. No. You may drive here on your UK licence for the duration of its validity. However, you may apply for exchange, if you wish.
From that it looks like the guard was wrong.


www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_10023103
From above website:

Moving to another country
If you move to another country, you should check with the driving licence authorities there for information about driving and exchange of licences. It will not be a requirement to notify DVLA of a change of address when moving to live abroad.
Returning to GB
If you return to GB from a non-EC/EEA country and are not in possession of a GB licence, you may:

drive for up to 12 months on your foreign licence
apply for a duplicate of your GB licence on payment on payment of a fee
 
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